Simple Water Purification Methods

You can spend lots of money on fancy filters that will make water safe to drink but there are a few ways to do it without spending much money and you probably already have everything you need at home.

3 DIY methods to make water safe to drink:
Solar purification
Chlorine purification
Boiling

For each method below you will need something to filter dirt or other large particles.  These methods will work on any water you can find but you should try to get it filtered out as much as you can.  If you don’t have a good filter to clean the water you could use an old towel or shirt (anything that will take out the large particles/sediment)

 

Solar radiation from the sun can disinfect water and make it safe to drink.

Items required:

Plastic bottle no larger than 2 liters, it must be the right type (PET, PolyEthylene Terephthalate, Recycle code #1 on bottom of bottle, commonly used for soda or water bottles)  Your  plastic bottle must be clear, not colored.

What to do:

Make sure the bottle is as clean as you can get it.  Fill it up with water and leave it out in direct sunlight.  Make sure it is laying down flat so it gets the most exposure as you can.  If you have a good bright sunny day, your water will be safe to drink in about 6 hours.  On cloudy days you  should leave them out for at least 2 days.

Important note:  this method will kill harmful bacteria, parasites and virus.  It will not remove or make safe from any chemicals.

 

 

Chlorine/Simple unscented bleach

Items required:

Any clean non-metallic container.

Household bleach.  Normal household bleach has a 5 to 6% chlorine concentration.

What to do:

Make sure your container is a clean as you can get it. Fill it up with the water.  Add 1/8 teaspoon bleach (about 8 drops) per gallon of water.  Stir well or shake if you are using a bottle with a lid.  Let stand about 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes the water will be safe from harmful bacteria, parasites and virus.

 

 

 

Boiling

Items required:

Metal pot or other metallic container.
Something to heat the container. kinda obvious here…  stove, outdoor campfire  etc…

What to do:

Bring any amount of water up to boil and it’s safe from harmful bacteria, parasites and virus.  If you can’t get it to boil, you need to get it to at least 160 degrees for 30 minutes.